


Reluctant Company

by SandmanCircus



Series: Reluctant Company [1]
Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Gen, resbang, resbang 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 06:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5574042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandmanCircus/pseuds/SandmanCircus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Resbang 2015. Eruka Frog has been forced on a mission to execute two people who, she’s been told, are rather difficult to kill. With her own neck on the line should she fail, and the unexpected help of a large and decidedly unorthodox werewolf, Eruka has no choice but to do her best to chase down her targets through the icy Canadian North (UA/AU).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reluctant Company

 

It was a dark and stormy night… or rather, it should have been, had the weather deigned to suit her current mood. Instead, her impending demise and smothered dreams were accompanied by the sweet call of birdsong and the warm light of the risen sun that twinkled like starlight against the freshly fallen snow.

Amidst such beauty, contemplating life and what little of her own she had left, sat the dispirited Eruka Frog. She sat hunched over and shivering, perched precariously on the hood of a dented Corolla that lay dead on the shoulder of an ice-plated highway. Her hands were clawed fists in her hair, tightly gripping the strands as she stared ahead, wide-eyed and unseeing. Shaking from the cold that blew through her jacket, Eruka struggled to formulate a plan that would allow her to live beyond her 83rd birthday.

Miracles and the like aside, her chances weren't great.

Now, had she been the type of person to lament over her own mistakes, perhaps Eruka may have beaten herself up over the fact that the vehicle she'd stolen (procured without proof of purchase, as she liked to think of it) was a run-down piece of shit that had stopped moving for the seventh time that week.

As it happened, Eruka held a firm belief in blaming others before blaming oneself, and so was able to rock back and forth on the nose of her car uninterrupted, mind filled with visions of a woman tearing the beating heart out of her chest for failing to accomplish one simple task.

The phone in Eruka's pocket buzzed, and she jumped at the sound. It signalled her sixth voicemail in just two hours. Considering how long ago she'd ignored the last call, it would no doubt be a scathing message.

Feeling rather sorry for herself at this point, Eruka reached a hand into her pocket for her phone. It was on autopilot that she typed in her password, brought the phone to her ear, and waited for the message to play. Tears pricked her eyes as she pressed her forehead against her knees.

' _Eruka_ ,' said the voice that plagued her nightmares, filled them with snakes and death and arrows bloodied red, ' _you have another week._ '

She sucked in a breath and covered her mouth, wide eyed and frozen. The hand she'd wrapped around her legs loosened and her sweat-slickened palms released the fabric of her jeans.

'Just. _One_. _Find them soon or I'll kill you. This is your last warning._ Don't _mess it up_ \- End of message. To replay this message, press- _'_

Eruka released the end button and returned the phone to her pocket. Completely numb, she fell back against her car, arms outstretched as she stared up at the all too cheery sky. When the pounding of her heart slowed and the shock wore off, Eruka could scarcely comprehend the reality of her own dumb luck.

A hysterical laugh bubbled up from within her and burst out before she could stop it. Her hands clamped against her mouth but it persisted, a burning pressure present in her chest as tears joined the laughter. Soon, her shoulders shook with both wracking sobs and mad cackles, fat tears falling down into her hairline as she wailed.

She'd been a hairsbreadth from death, and it was probably only the advantage of her location - and the fact that Medusa was acting oddly forgiving - that kept her skinny neck attached to her shoulders.

Eruka threw an arm over her eyes as her heartbeat calmed and the tears stopped falling. By some small chance _she hadn't fucked it up._ "How am I even alive right now…?"

A motor revved and Eruka yelped, scrambling upright. The action caused her bum to slide off the edge of the car and, despite her flailing arms, she ended up in the brown, wet slush that coated the roadside. " _Shit!_ "

"Ah, sorry for startling you. You okay?"

"Mhm," she squeaked, too cold to care about anything but _getting out of the fucking snow._ Eruka rose slowly to her feet, clawing the hood of her car for balance. The seat of her grubby jeans was soaked and the denim clung uncomfortably to her rear.

"Miss?"

The revving noise, Eruka realized as she turned, had come from a young man and woman who'd stopped on the road beside her. The two sat huddled together on an orange motorcycle, swaddled in warm, dark clothes as the smoke of the running engine rose behind them. They watched her curiously - one visibly wary, the other with concern.

"We thought you might be stranded," said the woman. "My friend here's a bit of a mechanic, if you needed a hand?"

Eruka wiped her hands on her pants and studied the pair. The female had a round, girlish face - pale where it wasn't tinged pink from the cold - and wore her blonde hair in child-like pigtails. Her companion, who she had yet to let go of, looked equally young despite the deep distrust in his red eyes.

Clearing her throat when Eruka didn't reply, the woman - more of a girl, really - shot her partner an uncertain glance before turning back to Eruka. "Are you in trouble? Do you need help?"

"I'm fine," said Eruka, not yet decided if she wanted to knock them out with a spell and steal their bike. It certainly appeared sturdier than the car she had now. Plus, orange was her favourite colour.

The girl glanced from Eruka to her dead beat car and back again. Her partner also appeared skeptical. "You sure there's _nothing_ we can help you with? Nothing at all?"

It'd probably be best to stick with her car, Eruka decided, she was cold enough as is without the wind blowing through her. Besides, she had luggage. This in mind, she offered her gallant rescuers a terse nod. "I'll be alright."

They both scrutinized her, and Eruka suspected they were waiting for her to collapse into hysterical tears and beg for their help. When she did neither of these things, a long, awkward pause filled up the silence. Finally the female cleared her throat. "Right… okay. Uh, you have a nice day, miss."

"Mhm." She gave them a stiff smile, already impatient for them to be gone. "You too."

Eruka sensed that they didn't _really_ believe her, but their eagerness to be on their way must have overridden any residual sense of civic duty and, with another goodbye from the girl, the pair sped off along the highway.

Eruka offered a half-hearted wave then walked over to the car to get started on repairs. No use leaving it off anymore, she thought, especially now that she had another week. Her tense shoulders relaxed at the reminder, and she breathed the crisp, winter air into her lungs and out with a sigh. Things were finally looking up, Eruka thought with a small smile as she lifted the hood. It was at this point that her phone chimed in her pocket.

Clicking the stand in place, she fished it out. The name of her informant lit up on the screen and Eruka nearly wept in relief. She'd asked for pictures of the two people Medusa wanted her to kill a week ago and it seemed they were finally being sent. Turning so she could lean against the car, Eruka opened up the attached document.

And nearly choked when it loaded.

On the screen was a picture of two baby-faced humans barely at the cusp of adulthood. One with chubby cheeks and a pink, rounded face. The other with a perpetual scowl and red eyes. Eruka's gaze rose helplessly to the fading trail of smoke left in the wake of the two people who'd offered their help.

The two people she was ordered to kill.

And she'd let them walk away from her.

"Shit."

…..

After Eruka got her car running again (with much cursing and crying on her part), she changed her pants, turned on the heater, and pulled out onto the highway. The Corolla creaked its protests over every bump and along every curve, but she ignored it. If the piece of shit car was truly past its prime, she would try her hardest to forget this fact.

"They were right in front of me, Mizune!" Eruka cried, one hand pressing the phone to her ear whilst steering with the other. "Right in front of me, and I did nothing." It would perhaps have been comical if her life didn't lay on so precarious a line.

"...You say their names were Soul Evans and Maka Albarn?"

A tired sigh. "Yeah, something like that."

The silence that followed was so long that for a moment Eruka wondered if Mizune had hung up when she heard, "Listen, if they are who I think they are, I don't think you can kill them on your own."

Eruka removed her hand from the wheel to adjust the heater, shifting the vent so the hot air blew more directly at her face. "What're you talking about?" she asked, steadying the car when it wavered. "They've hardly grown into their short and curlies. _And_ they're human. It'll be easy."

"But these aren't normal humans." Mizune's voice lowered. "I've heard some of the girls talking about them, Eruka. They're really good."

Eruka finally noted Mizune's worried tone as she watched the road with a sudden unease. Few things ruffled the other witch, and Eruka had learnt the hard way to listen to her when she spoke.

"Eruka?"

"I'm here." Finally, when it could wait no longer, she prompted, "How good?" It occurred to her absently that perhaps she didn't want to know.

There was a pause on the other line, then, "Rumour is they've collected enough souls to create a Deathscythe one thousand times over."

"Oh." A hysterical laugh burst forth, even as her eyes stung with brimming tears. "Right. Of course they have."

"Thinking of changing your mind?"

Eruka shook her head with a hard swallow, though she knew Mizune couldn't see her. "I can't say no to Medusa. You _know_ I can't." It came out embarrassingly close to a whine.

"Why don't you hire someone then?"

Eruka's thumb drummed the top of the wheel, her mind working as she watched a black truck approach from the distance. She licked her lips. "Like a mercenary?"

"Why not? Just find someone strong - if they die, they die."

Tap, tap, tap on the wheel. The truck was getting closer, just near enough now that Eruka could make out the heavily dented metal. She shifted in her seat. "I only have a week. Could I get someone before then?"

"For the right price, anything's possible. Look, Eruka, I really shouldn't be talking to-"

Right. Money. Her stomach clenched at the thought of her empty bank account. "How much?"

"...The people I've hired in the past did it for 10 grand." Eruka groaned. "Granted, that was a big job. Serpents, toxic blood, possible maiming - very messy."

The vehicle in the distance rumbled closer, swerving every now and then on the slippery ice. Eruka studied it with detached interest, strangely vacant in her own body. "Mizune, you know I don't have those kinds of funds."

There was a sigh from the other end. "Look, I don't know. Call out a loan? I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to pay back."

Her eyes closed. "I don't have time to - " Whatever else she might have said was lost as the breath left her lungs, her body thrown forward into exploding airbags and a shower of broken glass. Her car screeched as it slid backwards along the frozen road, and she was pressed against her seat. Finally the streaking tires quieted and the vehicle slowed.

As suddenly as it began it had stopped.

Eruka squinted open her eyes, blinking past the blood that dripped from a cut on her brow. It hurt to breathe, to move. Pushing herself off the deflating airbag with a wince, Eruka examined the damage around her.

The crash had lasted less than five seconds, and yet the front of her car lay crumpled against the virtually untouched mass of the black truck she'd collided with. The only damage she could see on it was a small scratch and a shattered windshield where the skis attached to the top of her car must have penetrated.

Eruka sat very still as the shock faded, inhaling with hitching breaths. When awareness returned, the urge to curl up and cry was a very real one, and before she could attempt to smother it, the tears had already soaked her cheeks.

"This is it. I'm dead. I can't come back from this. It's over. I should just go and lay on the road and hope someone runs me over- "

Eruka shrieked as her car door was torn from its hinges, revealing a giant man silhouetted by the sun.

"Sorry about that! You alright?"

Eruka sighed, hand over her pounding heart, and nodded, waving aside his offered hand as her eyesight adjusted to the bright sunlight. "Yeah, I'm - YOU HAVE A SKI STICKING OUT OF YOUR CHEST!"

"What?" He looked down. " _Goddamn fucking shit_ , not again!"

Not only that, Eruka realized with horror, this man wore blood stained prison clothes - ones which looked uncomfortably close to those worn by inmates at the high security witch prison. Eruka touched a trembling hand to her mouth as her eyes rose once more to his face.

He pulled at the plastic piece in his chest with both hands and snarled when it refused to move. "I hate to ask, but do you mind - Hey, where are you going?"

Eruka wasn't staying to offer a reply, busy scrambling over the passenger side of her car. One thing she'd learned in her relatively short life was that one should always run away from giant escaped convicts who casually conversed with a cross-country ski sticking out of their chest. She was just about to reach for the door handle when his large hand wrapped around her ankle, pulling her back to the drivers side despite her squawk of protest.

"Slippery thing, aren't ya?"

"Let me go! Let me go! _Let me go!_ "

"Hey, hey - _oof!_ \- stop kicking me! I promise I'm not going to hurt you." He was surprisingly nimble for someone so large. "I just want to make sure you're okay!"

Her foot connected squarely with the piece in his chest, sinking it deeper, and he jerked backwards, releasing her ankle. At first he appeared shocked, simply staring at her open-mouthed, then his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed.

Chest heaving, Eruka watched the fallen body. He wasn't moving, wasn't breathing. This usually meant someone was dead - but this someone was clearly not human. Careful as she could, Eruka pulled herself out of the car and tip-toed around the body.

 _Her_ car was clearly out of commission. Perhaps if she summoned Jackson to help her peel off the Corolla, she could take his truck?

The man sucked in a wheezing breath, jolting back to life.

Eruka screamed, scrambling away as he swung his arms at her. Her heel hit a sheet of ice and she slammed down on the ground beside him. His hand reached out before she could fully right herself and wrapped around her arm; she felt like crying as he pulled her back down. "Would you _please just die already!?_ " she shrieked.

Eruka struggled for as long as she could, but when her efforts proved fruitless, she collapsed on her front in a breathless heap. "I give up," she gasped, cheek pressed against the icy cement. "It's like you're made of metal." She looked at him. "You're not made of metal, are you?"

Rather than answer her, he sat them both up stiffly, his face carefully blank though he must have been in horrible pain. Something that might have been concern rose like indigestion in her belly - only to be squashed when he grabbed her hand and pressed it to the protruding piece in his chest. She squealed as blood pressed, hot and gushing, through her fingers.

" _What the hell are you doing?_ " she shrilled, struggling to get away.

He ignored her. "Can you pull this out? I think a piece splintered off and is digging into my heart."

Likely sensing her unease from the blatant look of disgust on her face, he continued, "Come on, I saved you from your car. You owe me."

"You didn't - " Eruka stopped, then sighed, rubbing her forehead with the heel of her palm. Best not to argue with the giant immortal holding you hostage. Her hand dropped and she met his eager gaze. "Yeah, okay. Fine."

He visibly perked up. "Really?"

"Yes, really." As long as he didn't murder her. "Let go of my arm, please."

"Oh, my bad."

"Hn."

He let her go and helped her stand on the ice, catching her once when she fell. "I got it," she said, wary of his touch. "Stand against the truck, we'll need the leverage."

He did so, bracing his hands against metal, and Eruka scrutinized the damage. One of the cross-country skis she'd tied to the top of her car on a whim was imbedded into his chest, snapped and bent at the base where she'd kicked it. If he was as fast at healing as he seemed to be, she'd have to move quickly.

Not bothering to ask if he was ready, Eruka grabbed hold of the broken sports gear and pulled as hard as she could. Warm blood spurted out on her clothes and he let out a strangled groan, but the piece remained securely imbedded in his chest. "It's stuck," Eruka said, looking up at him.

"Caught on a rib, no doubt. Try pushing it in then out again at a different angle."

Not that she cared, but… "Won't that hurt?"

The grin he shot her was wolfish, all white teeth and pointed fangs. Slowly, Eruka was beginning to realize who, and more specifically _what,_ he was. It was nothing good. "Not my first time, sweetheart."

If this man was who she suspected he was, Eruka mused as she repositioned herself, that would be an understatement. The blood on her fingers had already cooled and felt sticky as she once more gripped the broken ski. After a moment of consideration, Eruka raised her foot to press against the truck beside him for extra leverage. Then she pushed it in ("Goddamn fucking shit!"), and out again with a grunt.

It pulled free and Eruka went flying backwards, landing on her rear in the ice - broken ski in hand. It came out _mostly_ clean, only a tiny square of flesh hanging off. Eruka threw it aside in disgust and struggled to her feet.

By the time she'd gotten herself upright, slipping only once, it was to see the man wiping away the blood from his chest to reveal tan, unmarred flesh.

"You're prisoner 13," said Eruka, looking up from the non-existent wound to meet his amused stare. "The wolfman who stole Maba's eye."

He smiled down at her, a grin that was crooked and all teeth, and wiped his hands on his pants. "I go by Free now." He nodded to the bloodied ski. "Thanks for getting that out, by the way, feels much better."

It occurred to Eruka then that his expression might be a little _too_ friendly. "Right," she said, taking a step back. "This has been fun. I'm going to go now." Eruka maneuvered around him, leaving at least two feet between them as she approached what remained of her car.

There wasn't much she recognized, and what she did was already shit before the accident. Careful of the jagged metal protruding from the front half, she leaned inside the doorless opening and picked up the phone she'd dropped during the accident. Thankfully, it appeared intact. She stuffed it into her pocket before reaching into the back seat for her old back pack.

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving," said Eruka.

"Leaving?"

"Yes."

Free frowned as she hefted the large bag over her shoulder and went to walk around him. "But… I crashed into your car."

Eruka nearly jumped out of her skin when he stepped in front of her. She looked him in the eye. "Yeah, I was there. Please move."

"Well, do you want a ride, at least?" He scratched the back of his head. "I feel kind of bad and you did help me out."

Eruka squeezed the straps of her backpack. It wasn't like she hadn't thought of asking for his help earlier, but the fact remained that he was a giant unkillable werewolf on the run from her government. Not someone you want to hitch a ride with. She shifted her weight.

On the other hand, she was in the middle of Northern Canada in the freezing cold without a car or proper clothing. And she still had to find those kids.

Whether Eruka liked it or not, her decision seemed to be made for her. She looked up at her soon-to-be companion, and by the look on his face, he had come to the same conclusion. His smile was blinding.

She sighed. "Yeah, okay." Before she could say much else, Free snatched up her bag from her shoulders (ignoring her indignant "Hey!") and threw it into his truck. He then grabbed her and shuffled her inside beside it. "Would you quit-"

"You stay here and I'll pull your car off, alright?" He held up his hands when she made to protest. " _Stay_." The door slammed in her face and Eruka was left to stew in silence as Free detached her vehicle with complete ease.

The cab smelled like cigarettes and old men - but it was warm and the bench seat was comfortable, and gradually Eruka felt her shivering ease. She placed her bag at her feet, and leaned back against the tattered seat cover, more or less resigned to her fate.

Almost too soon he was inside the truck with her, his huge body taking up all the room and forcing her to scootch aside. He closed the door, shook the snow off his shoulders, and turned to her with his too-wide, goofy smile.

"Are you feeling okay?" Eruka asked when he just stared at her for several seconds, unconsciously leaning away. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Seeming to catch on that he was staring, Free shook his head and faced forward. "Sorry, been a while since I've had company. Are you cold? Here, I'll put on the heater."

"Thanks." Eruka held her numb fingers in front of the vent, rubbing out the chill as warm air poured out.

Free put the truck into gear and carefully pulled out onto the road, the tires sliding slightly before straightening out. There was a period of silence between them, filled only with the gentle rumble of the engine. Eruka's eyes were beginning to grow heavy when Free spoke, "So, what's your name? You never said."

"Uh, Eruka."

"And you're a witch."

She swallowed thickly as she sat back in her seat. "That's right."

He didn't say anything else, so Eruka turned to stare out the window as the truck swerved slowly down the highway. Was he worried she was affiliated with the witch council? If so, he shouldn't be - any contact had been impossible after she'd gotten caught up with Medusa. Her head leaned against the frosted glass. Maybe after her mission she could turn him in to get back into their good books? The thought was scrapped a second later - she didn't need an immortal werewolf out for revenge.

The truck lurched as the tires hit the gravel roadside and Eruka's head bumped against the window. She turned to Free angrily, rubbing her skull, but he seemed blissfully unaware of any problems. When he drove off the edge three more times, Eruka found the courage to say, "Can I ask you a question?"

He seemed surprised she'd spoken. "Sure."

The vehicle went over the side and Eruka clenched her teeth as Free righted them. "You don't have a license, do you?"

"For what?"

" _Driving_."

He released a barking laugh - a boisterous, booming sound that filled the small cab. It faded with a sighed and he said, "Course not."

She supposed she should've expected that. "How did you get this truck, then?"

"Oh, it's not mine." He smiled, all teeth, as if thinking of something that amused him. "Got it hitchhiking. Figured it was still a thing."

She turned her head to face him with a frown, bracing herself on the seat. "Hitchhiking? What happened to the driver?"

"Fell out."

"By fall out you mean...?"

"I threw him out the window."

Eruka snorted, but couldn't keep the twitching smile from her lips. "I thought you said it'd been awhile since you had company."

He grinned at her. "Good company."

The truck hit a pothole and Eruka grabbed hold of the dash with both hands. "Do you at least know how to drive?"

"More or less. Wasn't hard to relearn - they are a bit different now, though." They managed to pull back onto smooth pavement, only veering off course every now and then. She noticed he made a point to avoid any more potholes, which she appreciated.

"So where are we headed?" he asked.

The question caught her off guard. "The next gas station?"

"Right." He nodded. "And after that?"

"After that...?" She'd kind of just thought he'd drop her off and then they'd go their separate ways. If she was lucky, she'd never have to see him again.

"Yeah, I figured since I don't have anywhere to go I'd just follow you."

"WHAT?"

He shot her a glance. "No?"

It took a moment for her to unscramble the torrent of thoughts in her brain, time in which she spent staring at him in muted horror. When she was finally able to articulate something beyond one syllable, she said, " _You want to come with me?_ "

"You don't want me to?"

"Of course not!" she shrieked. " _Look at you!_ "

Free shifted in his seat. "Hey, now. No need for that."

Eruka belatedly remembered that he was capable of killing her very easily and decided to backtrack. "I didn't mean - I just - " she growled, hands jumping up to run through her hair.

"You okay?"

" _Fine_." Eruka breathed out her nose and looked back at the werewolf, dropping her arms to her lap and slouching her shoulders in defeat. " _Why_ exactly do you want to come with me, again _?_ "

A rueful shrug. "You're good company."

She shot his profile a shrewd glance. He wasn't... _lonely,_ was he? Eruka felt her stomach shrivel as she realized that he probably was. Who wouldn't be after all those years in prison? And _she_ was the one he'd chosen to cling to like a limpet. Perfect.

It would seem that for the time being she was stuck with him. She smiled wryly. "Will you throw me out the window if I refuse?"

He laughed. "I promise I won't."

Despite the mildly ill sensations in her belly, Eruka nodded. "Alright then."

His grin as he faced her was so large she wanted to punch him. "That a yes?"

"That's a yes. Oh, stop smiling at me, will you? And keep your eyes on the road - _one of us_ is still mortal."

…...

They'd been driving for two hours and Eruka still had no idea where they were. The torn map she'd found under her seat was open in her lap and took up most of the room in the cab as she poured over it. "I don't get it," she muttered, looking up from the twisted pages and out the window at the passing landscape. "It should be here. Do you think we passed it already?"

"You mean your Splashing Dicks Motel?"

"Splashing _Ducks_ , but yes." It was the only place to stay for miles, and since those kids weren't far ahead of her, it meant there was a good chance they'd be staying there as well.

"Hey, why don't you take a break from that?" Free reached over the crinkling paper and opened the glove compartment, revealing a pile of plastic tapes. "You wanna put in a cassette? I've been listening to them for a week now; they're one of the better things I've discovered since getting out."

After giving his profile a confused frown, Eruka leaned over the map to shuffle through the cassettes. She picked up a pink one and cringed. Sonny and Cher.

"The blue one's my favourite," he said.

Throwing him a second bemused glance, Eruka shuffled through the scratched up plastic till she found a light blue cassette. "Frank Sinatra?" she read. " _You_ like Frank Sinatra?"

"Yeah. Is he very popular?"

"I mean, I guess. He's been dead awhile now."

"Ah..." was what he said, but the dip in his shoulders told her he was upset.

Eruka glanced from the ancient cassette tape to the depressed looking werewolf and back again. Inwardly, she debated whether or not she cared if the man beside her was upset about some dead human. To her own surprise and mild horror, she realized that the answer was yes. Sighing, Eruka dropped the cassette back into the glove compartment and turned to her temporary traveling companion. "You know, there are more modern music players now."

Free glanced at her before looking back at the road. "Better than cassettes?" He sounded skeptical.

"Much better." Eruka reached down to her bag and zipped it open. It took a moment of shuffling through dirty underwear before she found her phone and earbuds. There wasn't much in the way of Frank Sinatra, but she _did_ have some jazz.

The truck obviously had no bluetooth, so she reached over and stuck an ear bud into Free's ear - ignoring his startled protests - and pressed play. As soon as the music began he stopped fidgeting and his stiff shoulders relax. A look of wonder appeared on his face.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"Uh…" Eruka double checked her phone screen, "it's 'Feelin' Good' by Nina Simone."

"Is she alive?"

"I don't think so."

"Ah."

Not sure if she'd made it worse or not, Eruka looked out the window just as a bright yellow sign came in view - the words 'Splashing Ducks' in bold. She gasped and sat up to follow it with her eyes as it whizzed by. Eruka turned and smacked Free's arm. "Did you see that? Only two miles! I knew we were going the right way." The blank expression was still on his face and she had the niggling urge to slap him harder. For Maba's sake, they were only humans. "Oh, cheer up, will you? How about I buy you a cupcake or something?"

That made him pause. "Cake?"

Eruka folded up the map and stuffed it into the side pocket on the door. She had money left over, didn't she? If nothing else, she could steal a wallet or two. Besides, it would be a way to get on his good side. "A small one, mind you, but yeah. _Any_ flavour you want."

"...Chocolate?"

Eruka frowned at him. "If you want, but… you're a wolf. Can you _have_ chocolate?"

Free turned to her, so horrified and visibly affronted that Eruka snorted. When he glared harder she burst out laughing.

"That better have been a joke-"

Eruka sat up when a large yellow building came into view. "There it is! Pull over here and for pity's sake _don't hit anything_."

" _I won't_."

"Just be careful."

Mercifully, Free managed to maneuver the truck into the parking lot without causing any damage. And if he did happen to take up three spots when he stopped, Eruka decided to mark it as a win nonetheless.

Free examined the building as he pulled the gear shift to park and turned off the engine. "So you have a reservation here, or something?"

Eruka, her hand poised over the door handle, froze. How much to tell? She turned to face Free, eyeing his curious expression thoughtfully. After a moment Eruka smiled. "I'm just meeting some people for a bit, I promise I won't be long."

"Can't I come?"

Eruka looked pointedly at his bloodstained prison clothes as she opened the door, edging slowly away from him. "You aren't really dressed for company." She reached over, patted his arm, and slid out the vehicle. "Wait here, I won't be long."

"But-"

" _Goodbye_ , Free." She slammed the door and shivered. It was far colder outside than in the warm confines of Free's truck. Tugging the semi-clean jacket tighter around herself - the one she'd found buried beneath old cigarette butts and empty bottles in the back of the truck - Eruka rubbed her arms to ward off the cold as she waded through the snow and slush towards the queer-looking motel.

To say it was worldly would be putting it kindly; a more apt description was "run down". The outside, which looked to have once been a pleasant sort of yellow colour, had since faded to the shade of tea-stained teeth. The smell of rotted wood strengthened as she neared, and the billowing tarp on the roof slapped in tandem with the passing breeze. Though it did have the fortunate advantage of being covered in clean white snow, one single step was enough to unearth the grime.

But this was all secondary in her mind to the little orange motorcycle parked out front.

The bell chimed as she opened the glass door to the main office and stepped inside. She had little time to appreciate the seeping warmth before the strong smell of smoke hit her - thick enough that her eyes watered. A woman seated behind a cluttered desk looked up at Eruka's entrance, a cigarette perched between her wrinkled fingers. "May I help you?"

"Yes," said Eruka, withholding a cough. "I saw a couple drop their wallet while driving by me on their motorcycle - the one parked outside. If you give me their room number maybe I could return it?"

The woman took a drag, exhaled. "What'd they look like?"

Eruka pretended to think, tapping her nails on the desk. "One had white hair, the other was blonde?"

Pencil drawn brows rose high in the woman's forehead, pushing up a wave of folded wrinkles. "Ah yeah, we got one o' those. Room 3B." She smothered her cigarette in an ashtray and fished out another from her blouse pocket. As she lit it, she spoke around the paper, "Out the door to yer left, then down at the end. Be sure to knock _real_ loud."

Eruka smiled stiffly and left the office, puzzling over the wheezing chuckles that followed her out. "Creepy old hag," she muttered, rubbing down the hairs on her neck. "Now...room 3B…" Eruka wrapped her jacket tighter around herself and set out down the line of motel rooms - ignoring Free who waved and called her name from the truck.

The room was easy to locate, the brass "3B" large on the off-white door though it hung at a lopsided angle.

Placing herself a foot in front of it, Eruka pressed her palm to the peeling paint and closed her eyes. Breathing in through her nose, she teased a small ribbon of magic from the warm reserves in her chest and willed it through her arm and out her fingers. A moment later she knew the room was empty. Eruka removed her hand and smiled; she reached for the door handle.

_I've heard some of the girls talking about them, Eruka. They're really good._

Her long, thin fingers froze and curled inward, half an inch from brushing against the tarnished brass. They began to tremble and Eruka clenched a fist so tight her nails dug half moons in her palm.

_They've collected enough souls to create a deathscythe one thousand times over._

"Shit." Eruka took a step back, hands moving into her hair. Tears burned her eyes and she blinked them back, swallowing over the clog in her throat as the fear returned. She'd forgotten. For a moment, she'd forgotten to be afraid. And then she remembered.

Eruka stomped her boot against the ground, struggling to smother her nerves. She slapped her cheeks. "Just _do it_ , you coward. They're not even there." A quick glance back insured no one was around. A trembling breath in. Out.

Eruka pounded the lock with a burst of magic until it clicked open, and then, with eyes squeezed shut, she pushed through the door before her nerves could change her mind. Warmth instantly seeped into her bones, and the relief of not being frozen anymore was almost enough to relax her.

When she opened her eyes she found herself in a small-ish, but thankfully clean room. It was lightly furnished with a queen sized mattress, an old TV, and - oddly - a large cardboard box.

"Okay," Eruka said in a sigh, "time to set up those bombs and get out of h-"

"Hey, where are your friends?"

" _FREE!_ " Eruka screeched, whirling around to see him step into the room and close the door behind him.

"Are they in the toilet?"

"Free, _what are you doing here_? I told you to wait in the car!"

"I've waited enough for twenty lifetimes, I'm tired of it." His hands went to his hips and he looked around, that grin still stuck on his face. "Seriously, where are they?"

Eruka blew her bangs. "Not here, obviously. Look, if you'd just wait out in-"

" _No_." He walked by her, ignoring the vicious glare thrown at him. "Man, I'm hungry, do they have any food?"

Hands fisted to prevent strangulation, Eruka took several breaths in of the stale motel air, trying to regain control. It helped very little, but nonetheless allowed her to turn away from the snooping werewolf so she could nose about on her own. She couldn't plant the bombs with him here, but she could still get some information.

The first thing she went for was the box on the bed, kept shut only by a loose lid. Smile growing (sleuthing about _was_ one of the more enjoyable acts in life, after all), Eruka threw off the top and reached eager, wiggling fingers inside.

And pulled out a big black dildo.

"What the..."

"Hey, Eruka look!" Dildo in hand, Eruka woodenly turned to see Free in a rubber face mask, fuchsia nipple tassels hanging off his shirt as he grinned at her. How had she ever been afraid of him? "It was in the closet!"

She looked back in the box - filled with fuzzy handcuffs, leather whips, nipple clamps and things she would hope to never know the purpose of - and back to the gently swaying dildo.

Eruka shrieked and threw the plastic penis across the room, hitting the bad watercolour painting on the wall. She wiped her hands on her pants. "What is _wrong_ with kids these days?"

Weren't teenagers supposed to be all awkward touches and slobbery kisses? Eruka took a second peak in the box. Candy flavoured lube, butt plugs, some spiked thing, and "Is that...a scalpel? What on earth…?"

A shoulder brushed her own. "Your friends are pretty kinky, hey?"

"No kidd- Free, put those back! And don't put random things on your face, you idiot - don't you know where this stuff's been?" Eruka reached up and pulled off the face mask with two fingers and quickly threw it aside somewhere near the dildo. She made sure to thoroughly wipe her hands on his shirt afterward. Free was too busy rummaging to mind.

"Look, maybe we should-"

" _That's funny, the door's unlocked_."

Eruka gasped and Free looked up. "Ah, your friends are back."

Heart pounding, her eyes moved to his with such horror that Free's smile faded. "...They're not really your friends, are they?" he whispered. Eruka shook her head. To his credit, he seemed to catch on pretty fast. "There's no time for the window."

" _I know_ ," Eruka hissed, the low murmur of voices still coming from beyond the door. She shot it a brief, longing glance before examining the room around them. Her hand found Free's arm. "The closet, quickly!"

She went in first, perhaps a mistake in hindsight, but she didn't foresee the glaring problem until Free came in after her. Eruka squeaked as the air left her lungs, Free's back pressing against her front as he squeezed inside just as the door to the room opened.

"Free, I can't-"

"Oh! Sorry." He shuffled forward an inch, just enough room to allow her to breath.

" _That food was terrible. How they manage to stay in service is beyond me,"_ said a cheerful woman beyond the door, her voice accompanied by rustling cloth and tinkling keys.

" _And yet you ate everything on your plate,"_ replied a man, quiet and amused. A door closed carefully. " _And had room for dessert, as I recall._ "

" _I don't waste food._ Especially _dessert."_

" _Mm, how could I forget."_

A tinkling laugh. Cloth dropping to the floor. The soft wet sound of lips meeting. Were they already going at it?

"What's happening?" whispered Eruka when the sounds of kissing grew louder and more involved. Free didn't respond at first, so Eruka attempted to duck under his shoulder to see through the crack in the door. The closet was too narrow and she just ended up squished tighter against Free. Huffing, Eruka pulled herself loose and smacked Free's shoulder. "I know you can see!"

"He just took her clothes off… Aaand there go his pants."

" _What?_ " A pause. "I wanna see. Move over."

"I can't, it's too tight in here."

Eruka sighed. "Fine, stay still."

"What are you- ah, ah! Watch your nails!" She ignored him, fingers digging into his shoulders as she pulled herself up his back. Free grunted, but remained relatively still. "Your knee is pressing into my back."

"Relax, I'm almost up."

" _You want to use the whips today?"_ asked the male, sultry and smooth. " _Or I could hold you down till you're wet and begging for it_."

Afraid she'd miss everything, Eruka increased her climbing efforts, using his calves as purchase for her boots. When she was able to wrap around Free's shoulders, he clamped an iron hand around her thigh at his waist.

"Eruka…" he gasped, "oh God - Eruka you need to stop moving."

She didn't listen, tried to wiggle up further. "I'm almost there, gimme another second."

"No. Eruka." He squeezed her thigh. "You don't understand."

Eruka paused, noticing for the first time his strained tone and heavy breathing. "What's the matter?"

He groaned and arched forward in the impossibly small space. Eruka had to clutch his neck harder to keep from sliding back down. The hand not on her thigh pressed against the wall, the knuckles white. He didn't respond.

Then it clicked in her mind just as someone outside the door let out a particularly titillating scream. " _Do you have a boner?!"_ she hissed in his ear.

He grunted a low _yes_ , resting his head against the closet door.

Eruka slapped his shoulder. "Free!"

" _I can't help it!_ "

 _"_ You couldn't have picked a better time?"

"Look, I may not be human, but I'm still a man! It doesn't take much."

"We're in a _closet_!"

"Well, I apologize for _inconveniencing_ you!" he hissed.

" _Oh fu- STEIN! STEEEIN!"_

_"Eyes on me, Marie."_

Eruka's head rose. "Stein? _Marie?_ "

She kicked Free until he released her thigh and pushed herself up and over his back so her stomach was balanced on his bent head. She pressed her face against the crack in the door and cursed. Instead of two gangly sort of adults going at it, there was a heavily scarred man slapping against a writhing woman.

"It's not them," Eruka whispered, sliding back down to Free's shoulders. She fisted his shirt in her sweat-slickened fingers. "It's not them and we're stuck in here. Free, _what do we do?_ "

Panic was swelling within her like a cancer, clogging her throat till she struggled to swallow. She recognized the man - Medusa's one-time _crush_ , though she'd never admit to it - as the one and only Dr. Franken Stein. He was strong, stronger than her. Maybe stronger than Free.

Eruka's pulse quickened as memories of blood and death flashed in her mind. How many hours had she spent forced to spy on him? She trembled, clutched Free harder, her breath came in short hitches. How many people had she watched him dissect?

"We make a run for it," said Free, cutting through her thoughts, and it was like his voice was a balm on her crumbling nerves. Before she knew it, her heart had slowed and she could breathe again. Unaware of her turmoil, Free applied pressure to the hand he held to the wall, watched the wood splinter and crack under his fingers. He pulled away and rubbed the broken debris between his thumb and forefinger. "This place is already falling apart - it'll be easy."

"Wait, you mean break the building?" asked Eruka. " _Are you crazy?_ "

"I'm not staying here for who knows how long till they finish their kinky slap session, _okay?_ "

She noticed then that he was still hunched over. Despite her lingering fear, Eruka couldn't help but ask with wry amusement, "Little tense?"

" _Just a bit_."

Eruka patted his chest.

" _Harder! HARDER!"_

Free groaned. "That's it, I'm breaking down the door."

"Wait, let's talk about this!"

"Nope!"

When he began to shift in the small space Eruka croaked, jabbed him with her heel, and tugged his hair. "At least let me transform first!"

Free shook his head. "No time. I'm seriously going to split my pants soon."

Before Eruka could further screech her protests, Free lunged, charging shoulder first through the door. It split easily under the pressure, but Free tripped on his way through and they landed roughly on the carpet of the motel room, broken wood scattered around them. Arms still around Free, Eruka looked up. The couple had frozen and were looking down at her, covered by a sheet that had materialized sometime between when she and Free were still hiding in the closet and now.

Eruka locked eyes with Dr. Stein - one of his eyebrows raised as he regarded her with faint amusement. The woman beneath him, Marie, was currently swearing up a storm - graphically threatening to do unspeakable things to them in their sleep involving her hammer. Eruka was suddenly very glad she was currently tied up.

"Free," she hissed, slapping his shoulder. " _Free_. Get up!"

Obliging, Free popped up a second later, shaking his head like a dog. "Oh man, that feels better," he said, dusting off his hands. He nodded at both Stein and Marie (the former amused, the latter now silently seething). "Sorry 'bout that, we'll just be on our way. You two get back to the freaky shit."

" _Free!_ "

"Eruka, it's the 21st century, you really need to be more open about these things." Free turned back to the couple, shaking his head. "I tell ya, this one's in the dark ages."

"FREE!" He was either having so much fun teasing her that he didn't notice the level of power emitting from the two lovers, or he was just stupid. It was also possible he was a masochist, in which case he fit in perfectly with their current crowd.

"As fun as this is," said Stein, scalpel raised. "I'm going to have to ask the two of you to leave."

"No problem, I'll let you love your lady - let her love you, whichever you guys are int-" the blade shot towards them, only just missing Free's ear "...okay! We're going!"

With a rain of sharp metal objects falling upon them, both surgical and sexual, Free and Eruka burst from the room.

….

Stein looked down at Marie and smiled. "That was interesting," he said, removing the sheet he'd covered them with. He tossed it aside with their clothes and lowered himself over her, loving the softness of her flesh.

Marie panted as his fingers returned to their earlier activities. "They were an interesting pair. Why do you think they were in here?"

"No idea."

She tried to growl at him, but could only manage a sigh as his tongue traveled the length of her neck in hot, open mouthed kisses. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Stein smiled against her skin. "Voyeurism is one of my kinks." He brushed his lips along her ear, leaving kisses till her soft laughter filled the air. He nipped her lobe. "Now then, where were we?"

…

The truck tore out of the parking lot, wheels screeching. Its engine roared as they slid across the ice, then accelerated down the road. Eruka tried to hang on to the dashboard but her fingers tore away and she knocked against Free, who cackled as he spun the wheel.

Eruka laughed too, she couldn't help it. It had erupted as soon as they'd entered the frosted parking lot at a run, Free pulling her along by her hand. The adrenaline-charged laughter couldn't be contained. Even with the skidding tires and terrifying werewolf beside her, Eruka snickered a mixture of giggles, snorts, and frog-like croaks.

Her chuckles faded, and she turned to see Free looking at her oddly, a grin on his face. At her bemused expression, he said, "You have the weirdest fucking laugh I've ever heard."

Eruka's face heated. "I _do not_."

"Hey, don't hit me!" Free chuckled when she glared at him. "It's not a bad thing, I like it."

Eruka smacked him one last time for good measure, then slumped against her seat in a sigh. The adrenaline had faded and reality took its place. Anxiety spread through her like a familiar and hated enemy.

"I can't believe that just happened," she said, rubbing her face. "I didn't even find who I was looking for - it was a complete waste of time." The orange motorcycle had been noticeably missing from the parking lot.

"Oh, I don't know about that," said Free, shrugging, nonchalant as he stretched and threw his free arm over the back of the seat. "It wasn't all bad."

"Not all bad?" She turned to him. "What do you mean? That was a complete disaster! We - _I_ could have been killed!"

Free waved off her concerns. "You were never in any danger - I had you." Eruka snorted, but he ignored her. "Besides, you can't say we didn't learn anything."

"What are you talking about?"

He thought a moment. " _Well_ , like cake flavoured lube. Did _you_ know they had cake flavoured lube before today?" He waited till she rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, you didn't. We also know about rubber penises, plastic penises, _metal penises,_ penis on a stick, nipple tassels - "

Eruka smiled wryly. "Nipple clamps."

Free shot her a grin. "See, we're a wealth of down and dirty knowledge! That never would have happened if we hadn't been there. Isn't that exciting?"

"You've been in jail, _anything_ would excite you."

"Maybe," he conceded, shooting her a grin. "Life does seem more fun now."

For some reason her face warmed it this, and a traitorous splash of affection hit her. Hard. Coughing past her embarrassment, Eruka shot a not so subtle glance at his crotch. "Well I know _you_ found it exciting."

"Hey now, I've been in prison for years! Give me a break!"

She laughed till her belly hurt.

…

The afternoon sun was warm on her skin, so much so that Eruka found herself drifting off in the truck cab, her cheek rested against the fabric of the seat as the werewolf beside her hummed quietly to an iconic song he'd only just heard that day.

When she woke the sky was the burnt orange of sunset. And they had stopped. Eruka stretched out the kinks in her neck, wincing at the pain. It'd teach her to fall asleep in a truck, in any case. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking around herself blearily.

She froze when she saw Free beside her, looking through her phone.

A chill ran through her. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Free's shoulders jerked and he shot her an alarmed look. For a moment he might have appeared guilty, but it was quickly replaced with an easy smile and sheepish laugh. "Ah, you're awake," he said, allowing her to snatch back her phone.

"Why were you looking through my phone?" Eruka turned it on and pressed in the password. The music selection flashed onto the screen and relief washed through her. Her suspicions eased a fraction.

"I wanted to listen to more music." It sounded like the truth, but Eruka didn't know him well enough to spot a lie.

She locked the phone and put it back in the side pouch of her bag. "How did you know my password?"

"I watched you put it in," he said, then grinned and added teasingly, "'1 2 3 4' isn't the most inconspicuous password, you know."

Eruka blushed with a scowl. "Oh, lay off. I needed something easy to remember."

"That doesn't sound very street savvy." Though his words were nonchalant, there seemed something off about him. Had his boner not gone down yet? Eruka fought the urge to check.

When he began to squirm from her intense scrutinization, Eruka turned away and grunted. "Whatever. Next time, just wake me up, okay? I thought you were snooping through my stuff or something."

"Right." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Will do."

"So why've we stopped?"

Free's sheepish laugh returned. "Well, funny story..."

" _What_."

"We're out of gas."

"WHAT?"

"I feel like you're being deliberately obtuse - _ow!_ "

"Free, you idiot!" She smacked his arm again. "We've passed three gas stations!"

"Four, actually- ow! _Stop hitting me!_ "

" _Why didn't you get gas?"_

"I don't know! We just kept going so I figured- _shit!_ Eruka, if you don't stop hitting me I swear to- _fuck!_ "

"Do you actually think about what you say before you say it, or do you just spout random words and hope for the best?"

"Hey now, that's not very nice."

Eruka held her head and groaned. Maba save her from 300 pound idiots in prison clothes. The sooner she could get away from him the better. "How long have we been stopped?" she asked, massaging her temples.

"Not long after you fell asleep so...maybe two hours ago?"

"What? Why didn't you wake me up?"

Free shrugged. "You looked tired, so I figured I'd let you sleep. It wasn't like we could do anything, anyway."

With a sigh, Eruka slumped back in her seat. The way he said it made it sound dangerously close to being sweet - and really, that was _not_ okay. She didn't need to think the giant convicted werewolf was sweet. There was enough on her plate.

"Well, what now?" asked Eruka crossly, struggling to hold on to her anger. "We're stuck in the middle of nowhere in _Northern Canada!_ We're lucky we aren't frozen already!"

"Don't worry, I've left the heaters on."

"Freeee," Eruka covered her face and groaned into her hands, noticing for the first time that _yes_ , the vents were still pumping hot air - had apparently been doing so for the last two hours without the engine running. " _You idiot."_

"What is it?"

Eruka never did reply, the slow whiz of a powering down machine was answer enough. It didn't take long for the cold air to crawl in through the cracks of the truck, the residual warmth slowly fading.

"Ah, right."

"I'm going to freeze to death," Eruka moaned, as loudly and obnoxiously as she could. "I'm going to die in the stupidest way possible because I'm stuck with _an idiot_. A big, giant idiot who doesn't know to put _gas in the tank_ or _turn the power off_ because he's _an idiot_ \- Wait! Where are you going?"

Free turned back to her, looking tired and irritated. He held open the truck door with one hand. "I'm getting food. I'm hungry." That said, he stepped out of the cab and slammed the door shut.

Eruka watched him stalk sulkily around the front of the vehicle. She opened her door when he came around to her side. "What do you mean you're getting food?" she shouted at his retreating back. "It's going to be dark soon and you're walking into a forest! Free! Free, get back here! ... _Free!_ " He didn't stop, and soon not even the light from the low-hanging sun reflected off his broad shoulders.

"Free, you piece of shit, don't just leave me here!" she yelled.

When no response came, Eruka cursed lowly, grabbed the flashlight in her pack, and hopped out of the truck. She ran after him, shivering through the cold.

The flashlight was a last minute decision, one she was fiercely thankful for. "Free?" she called into the growing darkness, clutching herself from fear and cold. "I'm sorry for calling you an idiot!" Snow crunched, fallen leaves squished, and twigs snapped under her footsteps as she traveled further into the dark forest.

"I'll give you my power bar, just come back!"

Despite the freshly fallen snow, the forest still had the faint odor of rotting leaves. It brushed against her nose with each soft footstep, a bewitching aroma that reminded her of spells and home. It should have made her feel safe, but it didn't - it just reminded her of dark magic and what it meant to be on the wrong side of a spell. Eruka gripped the torch tighter.

Something snapped in the distance and Eruka jumped. She flashed the light towards the direction the noise came. "Free?" she called out. Another soft rustle. "Free is that you?"

A snake slithered from the snow covered bush, its gleaming black scales flashing against the light as it moved. It had green eyes like glass marbles, vacant and cold, and it stared at her for a long moment without moving.

The sight of it was an arrow through her heart. Cold and afraid, Eruka struggled to breathe. "What...what do you want?" she asked, taking a trembling step back in the snow. Her hand moved to clutch her chest. "I still have time."

Her foot slid back, and a branch snapped under her boot. She jumped at the sound, breathing faster. The snake remained still, watching her. "I still have time!" Panic bloomed, thick and consuming, and squeezed her throat till it hurt.

"You haven't ressponded to my callsss," said the snake. "Naturally, I wass worried."

"Yes," said Eruka, who continued to inch backwards. "I imagine you were. Very thoughtful of you."

"You're making progressss, I hope?"

"Mhm," Eruka squeaked.

"No hiccupsss?"

"None. Everything is-" Eruka's back hit a tree. She shakily felt behind herself with her hands to maneuver around it "-everything is perfect. No issues or uh, _hiccups_ to speak of."

The snake slithered forward, head tilted as it regarded Eruka. "Iss that sso? I've heard differently."

"O-oh?"

"And I think perhapsss you need a reminder of who iss in charge."

Eruka froze as an inky black aura rose from the snake, curling upward in quivering tentacles. It shot forward and through her chest before she could scream. It was over quickly, but Eruka felt the spell take hold with hitched breath. As it happened, she had several agonizing moments of dawning horror before it began.

 _Thud, thud, thud_ went her heart in her ears. She clutched herself, falling to her knees and curling inward. There in the snow she shook, unable to stop, and unable to breathe beyond hitching breaths. The world tilted sideways and her thoughts muffled in her head.

The only clear sight was of those glass marble eyes that watched without emotion.

Eruka screamed.

…..

"Eruka! Eruka, wake up," a voice said close to Eruka. She heard it as though through a thick film, like she was underwater and he called for her from above the surface, shouting with urgency and fear.

Then a warm, calloused hand stroked her cheek and the final vestiges of the spell tore away from her like broken cobwebs. She jerked awake upon its collapse, sucking in air and coughing.

"Free?" rasped Eruka when she was able. She looked up and found him crouched beside her in the snow, curled over her slightly. He looked panicked.

When he saw her blink up at him he sighed in relief and his shoulders sagged. Then he laughed in a breathless, pleading sort of way. "What are you doing sitting in the snow, you silly girl?" Free put his large hand on her head and stroked her hair. "You nearly gave me a heart attack when I heard you screaming."

Eruka allowed the awkward touch for several moments before wiggling free. "I'm fine," she said, her throat sore from screaming. She cleared it softly. "Help me up?"

Free immediately jumped to his feet and lifted her up beneath the armpits like a child. He never released her, not even when she slapped at the hand holding her steady. "What happened to you?" he asked. "And _stop that_. You were unconscious two seconds ago, I'm not letting you go."

Eruka stopped pushing at his hands and grumbled. She wanted to go home and sleep for twelve hours and forget any of this ever happened. "It was a spell. Nothing major, don't worry about it."

"Eruka, you were screaming for half an hour. I couldn't wake you up - _it seems like something to worry about_."

"Well, it's not, okay? It's my issue, I'll deal with it."

Free looked like he wanted to retort, but when he opened his mouth to speak he froze. His head tilted, as though listening intently.

"What is it?" asked Eruka, uneasy.

Without moving his head from its half-tilt, Free's eyes moved to her face. " _Nothing major,"_ he said, sourly.

Eruka returned his glare with one of her own. He wanted a fight? _Good_. She'd just had one of the worst days on record - she felt like yelling at someone.

"You have a problem?" Eruka asked. Free shook his head and picked her up. He held her so that he gripped her legs while she sat on his arm, then began wading through the forest, presumably back towards the truck. Eruka ignored him and continued complaining. "Because I think of the two of us, I have a bit more to complain about."

"Let's just get back to the truck before it's too dark for even you to see."

"Don't change the subject!"

Eruka's loud complaints continued long into the trip back until finally she'd tired herself out and her one-sided argument died down. But when her annoyance at the werewolf wasn't distracting her, she found her thoughts circling back to her brief reunion with Medusa. She looked back into the darkness they'd come from, searching the shadows for a trace of the witch that haunted her.

It had been a warning. Eruka's fingers curled in Free's shirt. It had been a clear display of who was in charge, and for this reason alone, it infuriated her.

…..

It was dark when they finally returned to the truck. The moon hung high and bright in the sky, the stars twinkling gaily around it. Eruka paid the ethereal beauty no mind, too busy wrapping herself around Free, face pressed into his neck and shivering in the frigid air. The intimacy of the position registered faintly, but Eruka was beyond caring. With her fingers wound tightly into the fabric of his thin shirt, Eruka wallowed in her misery with chattering teeth and shaking shoulders.

"We're here," said Free gently, the warm breath of his speech caressing her temple. Eruka grunted, then yelped and clung tighter when he attempted to extract her from his arms. Free sighed. "Eruka, let go."

When she didn't reply, Free forcefully pried her off him (ignoring her feeble attempts to hold on), folded her up, and deposited her neatly into the truck. He shut the door and walked around to the driver's side.

"Comfy?" asked Free once he'd settled in beside her, shaking his head like a dog and brushing off the snow in his hair.

"C-cold," Eruka said, glaring at him. With a thoughtful hum, Free reached behind her seat and retrieved an old, musty smelling coat. He wrapped it tightly around her, then sat back to examine his work.

"Better?" He sounded hopeful.

Eruka glared. "N-now I'm cold, and I smell like old m-man."

His weary laugh was loud in the resounding silence. He rubbed his face with one hand. "Not one to suffer in silence, are you?"

"Bite me."

"Maybe one day, for now let's just warm you up." There was no time for Eruka to scrutinize that statement as Free slid closer. He opened his arms, and beckoned her closer.

Truthfully, Eruka wasn't quite sure what to make of the odd man before her. Even now, as he patiently waited for her to scootch closer, that silly, welcoming smile had somehow made its way back on his face ( _no one_ was that friendly). But she was cold and tired, and didn't have time to question the oddities of the werewolf further. So with a red face and an embarrassed glare, Eruka shuffled over and allowed him to pull her into his lap. Once there, he hugged her close and tight. "Better?" he asked again. Eruka grunted. "I'll take that as a yes. Now wrap your arms around me. I'm very warm."

Eruka reluctantly did so, noticing somewhat grudgingly that he _was_ quite warm - and seemed to be getting warmer. Like a furnace burned beneath his skin. After a moment of hesitation, Eruka carefully rested her cheek on his chest and closed her eyes. Her muscles relaxed and she sank against him. How was it that she'd come to be companions with a werewolf who nagged like a sassy grandmother?

Free's large palm stroked down her back, and the gentle rise and fall of his breathing lulled her closer and closer to sleep. He smelled like the forest in spring, of pine and new flowers, and it reminded her of the home she'd built deep in the woods.

Just before she succumbed to the heady pull of sleep in his warm arms, she felt lips press against her hair and move in speech. "What hold does she have on you?" he asked her softly.

She might have responded, but sleep had taken her. And so had the nightmares.

….

_She heard the gentle thud of a wooden spoon scraping the inside of a cauldron; smelt the rich scent of herbs and spices. A bell chimed. Frogs croaked a faded lullaby. A warm hand touched the base of her neck and moved to cup her cheek. Words of love where whispered in a familiar voice._

_But then the hand turned into a claw and the croaking frogs turned to wolves, who howled their haunting song to the manic moon. Sparks ignited. Screams rang._

_The fire burned, burned, burned, until warm familiar fingers blackened and curled._

Eruka woke with a start, blinking blindly, her eyes wet and her teeth clenched. For a moment she didn't remember where she was, a period of time in which she remained perfectly still. As her memory returned, her body slowly relaxed, though her fingers trembled as her fists unclenched.

She took a deep breath, darting her eyes to Free. Luckily he was still asleep, snoring softly with a trail of slobber running down his chin. Careful not to wake him, Eruka rose from where she laid, nestled against his chest, and gently slipped out from under his massive arm. Almost instantly the frigid temperature registered, and she shivered, rubbing her arms.

The sun had just begun to rise, peaking brightly above the tree tops in the distance. Eruka wiped her damp cheeks and nose and pulled up the worn bag at her feet. She opened the truck door and hopped out, breathing in the crisp air. Bag thrown over her shoulder, Eruka was about to shut the door behind her when she paused to offer the man within a final glance, one which lasted perhaps longer than she had meant it to. Free huffed and shuffled in his sleep, not unlike how a dog might sleep while dreaming.

Eruka smiled, snorted to herself, and closed the door.

The slush from yesterday had hardened overnight and crunched under her boots as she walked away from the stranded vehicle. It was cold, bitterly so, and Eruka had half a mind to run back to the truck and curl up again - but she refrained. She wouldn't get anywhere if she stuck to the wolf, and she had to keep moving or she'd never complete her mission.

Eruka pulled her phone from her bag and turned it on, slinging the straps of the bag over her shoulder as she waited for the screen to light up. There would be a diner, she knew, somewhere along the road - the issue was whether it was a one hour walk or a ten hour one. Even if not, someone would no doubt be driving by soon that she could borrow a vehicle from.

If only catching those slippery kids was so easy. With a woeful sigh at her own rotten luck, Eruka looked back down at her phone. It was still black. Frowning, Eruka held down the power button for several seconds and released it. Nothing.

Eruka stopped walking. "What the hell?" She smacked it with her palm, tried twice more to turn it on. Still nothing.

Her heart thudded in her chest, and she had difficulty swallowing. The magical charger she'd hooked into the phone was brand new, bought from a tech-savvy witch just before her mission. It should have had at least ten more years before it needed to be replaced. "Piece of crap," Eruka muttered, and began walking again. "Don't cry Eruka, _don't_ cry." She sniffled, glaring at the winding road ahead. "Just keep walking. You'll figure it out, you won't end up dead in a ditch with snakes eating your rotting corpse and sucking the blood out your heart."

Eruka paused and stuck her hands in her hair. "Shit, shit, shit, _shit_. This is bad."

But before the dawning panic attack could set in, a loud, booming voice called out from behind her. "Hey! Eruka? Where are you going!?"

Eruka groaned, arms dropping back to her sides. It took her a moment to muster the patience to turn around, and by that time Free had stopped right behind her, panting. He looked hurt and confused and Eruka wanted to roll her eyes at him.

"What?" she clipped.

"What do you mean _what_? You were going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"So?" Eruka asked, shrugging. "Free, we've known each other less than twenty-four hours. I don't owe you anything, certainly not a goodbye."

"But I thought we were going to travel together! You said yourself we would stay together till the next gas station and, as far as I can tell, we haven't reached one yet."

"That was when we had _a functional truck,_ you idiot - but you messed that one up, remember?"

Free growled and ran his hands threw his hair. Eruka raised a brow when he started stomping his feet against the ice. "Look," said Free when he stopped pacing, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Just wait while I get my stuff, alright? We'll walk together to the next landmark."

Eruka slumped. " _Why_?" It came out as a whine.

She wasn't afraid of him anymore, not really anyways - being stuck with someone in a closet while listening to two middle aged adults get it on with whips and chains did that to a relationship. Still, she was hesitant to further their relationship.

"Please?" he begged, and he appeared so desperate that Eruka cringed.

She scuffed her shoe on the ice, rubbed her arm, and sighed. " _Fine_."

Before she could say much else, Free grinned widely and scooped her up in a bone-crushing hug. He released her before she could curse at him and ran back to the truck. Eruka glared at his retreating back, turned around and kept walking, worrying about the decision to let him come.

Not that she had much choice, really.

Free came bounding back moments later, not minding in the least that she hadn't waited for him. When he caught her eye, he smiled down at her widely - perfectly content despite their stranded situation.

Determined to ignore him as best she could, Eruka returned to fiddling with her phone. She tried to infuse a portion of her own magic into the charger, and for a moment it sparked with life - only for the power to drain away once more.

All the while, Free hummed loudly beside her.

Unable to stand the joyful sound any longer, Eruka turned to Free. "Why are you so happy?" she asked, genuinely perturbed by his good mood. "We could be walking for hours, you don't have any shoes, our only mode of transportation is _useless,_ not to mention my phone won't turn on - no matter how you look at it there is no reason to be as happy as you are."

Free laughed - actually _laughed_ at her - and Eruka had to suppress the very real urge to smother him. "Oh, I don't know," he shrugged, "the sun is shining, there's food hopping through the forest, no bars or chains - the world seems pretty good from where I'm standing."

Eruka ire deflated at the mention of his past. Sometimes she wanted to punt the bastard for being so bloody _positive_. Shaking her head, Eruka nodded to the road before them. "C'mon, the sooner we start walking the sooner we get somewhere."

......

"Here. I bought you jerky," Eruka said, tossing him several packaged sticks. She took a bite of a sour key gummy and dropped down next to him on the bench. At first, the convenience store owner had been reluctant to let her use his phone; fortunately, his vow of "employee only" had diminished pretty quickly after a few not-so-subtle threats that may have included a nod towards the werewolf sitting patiently on the bench outside. Risky as it may have been, it was necessary.

Eruka rubbed her forehead with the heel of her palm, willing away a dawning headache. "My friend said she'd meet us at the diner in half an hour."

"She can get here that fast?" Free asked, struggling with the wrapper.

Eruka nodded, bringing her legs up to wrap her arms around them."Yeah, she's going to use a teleportation spell. She doesn't have many so I'll owe her big time." Eruka paused. "Assuming I'll be alive to repay her."

Free's hands stilled. "What?"

"Nothing."

"...So, she'll help us find whoever you're looking for?"

"That's the plan," Eruka mumbled around a sour key. She looked over at Free, who still struggled with the jerky. She held out a hand. "Here."

Free glanced at her, then passed the jerky stick. "Thanks." He watched her slide it open with ease and roll down the plastic. "You don't sound very confident."

Eruka snorted, handing him back his jerky before hugging her legs again. "I'm not."

"...You seem scared."

"Free, I'm so terrified I can hardly think." She looked at him. "If it wasn't my life on the line, I would be far, far away from this shit show. If you knew what was good for you, you'd run, too."

"No, I wouldn't."

Eruka turned, brows raised at the surprisingly solemn answer. Then she smiled. "Yeah, maybe you wouldn't."

The werewolf met her gaze, holding it for a long moment before releasing a loud huff. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen, Eruka-"

"Hold that thought," Eruka interrupted, raising her hand. "She's here."

He looked around, surprised. "That fast?"

"No, she's just planted her signature, the spell won't transport her for another ten minutes or so." Eruka frowned at Free's wardrobe. "We should get you new clothes before we meet her. At least new pants."

Free looked down, then back at Eruka. "Where?"

"Hey, miss! You still gotta pay for those!"

Eruka turned as the large cashier watched them cautiously, head poking out of his store. His eyes shifted from Eruka to Free, and it looked like it had taken all his courage just to speak.

Eruka smiled. " _He_ seems about your size."

**…**

"There you are!" An extravagantly dressed woman (though who arguably wore far too little for the current climate) glided to the table, her grandeur a paradox within the aged diner. She sat down opposite Eruka and glared. "If we didn't have the history we do I'd put a curse on you for forcing me to come to this dump."

"Good to see you too, Mizune." Eruka smiled. "I bought you coffee."

Mizune looked down at the black sludge. Her nose wrinkled. " _How kind_." She pushed the cup away carefully, as though it offended her, and raised her eyes to Eruka. "It's times like these it's easy to remember why we broke up."

"Because I buy you coffee?"

"This isn't coffee, this is food poisoning in a cup. And you know damn well what I mean," Mizune hissed, her pointed nails digging into the table. "I told you not to bring me into your mess with Medusa, I'm in enough hot water as it is just being associated with you. Calls are one thing, Eruka, but making me come out here? That's too far."

"Relax, you spend too much time working anyway. Think of it is a vacation."

"Don't try me. I am _this_ close to hexing your ass." Then Mizune sighed, the poised image she projected fading slightly as the witch slumped in her seat. "Sorry, it's been a long week. Prisoner 13 escaped and everyone is up in arms."

Eruka, who had just taken a sip, choked on her coffee. Mizune looked up. "Are you alright?"

"Mhm," Eruka squeaked, grabbing for a napkin. She wiped up her spilled drink with trembling hands. "Do they know where this guy is?"

"Haven't a clue. We have some ideas, but it's pure speculation at this point. He could be anywhere."

It was at this point that Free returned from the bathroom. He was dressed in the new clothes they'd found. He spotted her quickly and waved, not noticing or merely ignoring the subtle shake of her head and wide eyed panic. "Here you are!" he boomed, walking towards the booth. He looked down at Mizune, his large hand clasping the back of the seat. "This your friend?"

Mizune looked up, then her head made a slow, accusing turn back towards Eruka. " _You didn't_ ," she hissed, nails scraping lines in the table.

Eruka held up her hands. "I didn't. I promise."

"He's right here!"

"I just picked him up! He won't leave!"

Mizune leaned forward and spoke in a hushed, angry whisper, "I said to hire a _mercenary,_ Eruka, not an _ancient, immortal werewolf._ "

Free looked from Eruka to Mizune and back again. "Should I… leave the two of you alone?"

"Yes." Eruka nodded.

" _No!_ " Mizune hissed just as fast, then glared at Eruka. "I'm taking him back with me!"

"Mizune, if you would just listen-"

She was cut off when Free straightened and snarled. "Hey!" he shouted, backing from the booth and moving to the door. "Hey, you! I see you!"

Eruka turned as Free pushed through the door and chased down a man in a baseball cap. "Oh, yeah, you better run, boy! Run fast!"

"What is he doing?" Mizune asked, too baffled to be angry.

"Ah, he splashed us with water on the way here." A waitress dropped off a plate of toast and walked away. Eruka grabbed a jam packet and turned to Mizune. "You want a piece?"

"You're uh, not going to…?"

Eruka waved her hand. "Don't worry, he deserves it - covered my favourite boots with mud, too."

Mizune was quiet a moment, watching Eruka intently, and then spoke - more softly then she had the whole visit, "You have to know Medusa is going to have a problem with this. What will you tell her?"

"I'm not going to tell her," Eruka said simply, pausing to watch the large man tackle the trucker in the distance. "This is a temporary thing, and it won't last longer than it needs to - I'll make sure of it."

Free got up from the man and turned back to the diner, sending them a thumbs up with a giant grin on his face. Eruka smiled and returned it.

"You two seem pretty chummy."

Eruka rolled her eyes, returning to the toast. "He'd be like that with anyone. Too damn nice for his own good."

Mizune tapped her nails rhythmically on the linoleum countertop. She watched her friend thoughtfully. "Still, you better be careful. You wouldn't want him to fall in love with you."

In the process of licking leftover jam from her thumb, Eruka froze, her eyes immediately rising in horror. "You don't think that would happen, do you?" She looked to Free. "How would I even know?"

"I have it on good authority that if you wanna know if he loves you so, it's in his kiss."

Eruka snorted. "Fuck off."

Mizune sighed, long-suffering and loud enough to cause heads to turn. " _Fine_. I'll help you - but this is the last time."

"You'll help me with the tracking spell?"

"Yes, yes."

….

"So she'll help?"

Eruka grinned up at Free. "Yes. She's getting me samples of hair so I can do a tracking spell. It will lead me right to them."

"How soon?"

"It shouldn't take long - as soon as she gets it, it will appear in this pouch." Eruka held up a smooth, red satin bag. "Once we get these samples I can begin the spell and we'll be one step closer."

The new phone Mizune had given her buzzed loudly in her pocket. "That'll be her now. Hello?"

"Free…...he's…."

"You're breaking up. Mizune? The reception isn't good here, what did you say?"

"...ake found at prison...Me-"

An arm came down and slapped the phone out of her hand. Eruka stared in shock at her phone on the snow covered ground, shattered in two pieces. She whirled on Free. "What the hell was that for?"

He held two hands in front of his face. "I thought I saw a spider!"

"What?! It's below freezing, you idiot. _There are no spiders!_ "

"I'm sorry!"

He looked so guilty that Eruka sighed. "It's fine. C'mon, let's just find a car and get out of here."

And so the two companions left together, their future for the moment uncertain. With any luck, Eruka thought as the snow crunch under her boots with each step, they'd both survive Medusa.

Then again, no one ever claimed frogs were lucky.

….

Left in the snow, the phone crackled and buzzed, hissing out a final message just before the screen faded to black.

" _...Free is wor...king for Medusa!_ "

 

 

**END PART 1**

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to all my fab beta's : Proma, Jak, Lucy, and Howl. And big thank you to all the salt squad chat for being supportive and kicking my ass when I needed to write. Lastly, thanks to my lovely artist persistentplutonium/Micheala!
> 
> Happy Resbang Guys!
> 
> PART TWO NOW UP!


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